April 15, 1999

PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh women's softball team split a pair of games with visiting St. Francis (Pa.) today at Frick Field. The Panthers captured the first game, 9-3, while the Red Flash took the nightcap, 4-2.

Pittsburgh jumped to a two-run lead in the first inning off first baseman Katie Mitchell's (Wildwood, Mo./Lafayette) RBI-double and designated hitter Gina Bessolo's (Lakewood, Calif./Lakewood) RBI-single. The Red Flash battled back to pull within 2-1 in the second inning, but the Panthers put together a four-run third to take the lead for good.

Mitchell began the scoring in the bottom of the third with a solo two-out home run, her first of the season. Bessolo added another run with her RBI-single to center field and crossed the plate after Lisa Collins' (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) double. Collins added the final run of the inning moments later when she scored off a catcher's error.

Pittsburgh added three insurance runs in the fourth to seal the victory. After right fielder Dawna Kasper (Munhall, Pa./Steel Valley) scored on a shortstop error, catcher Jackie Haar (Naples, Fla./Lely) belted her 11th home run of the season, a two-run shot over the centerfield fence. St. Francis managed two runs of their own in the top of the fifth, but could draw no closer.

Mitchell and Bessolo each went 3-for-4 at the plate in game one with two RBI apiece, while Mitchell added a home run and double. Junior pitcher Laura LeViere (Pittsburgh, Pa./Northgate) threw her sixth complete game of the year and notched her fifth win of the season, allowing three runs, six hits and tallied 10 strike outs.

St. Francis won the second game despite trailing after five innings. The Panthers led, 2-1, after Collins' solo home run, her first of the season in the fourth, and Tiffany Barrett's (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny) RBI-single in the fifth.

The Red Flash rallied in the following inning with three runs off four hits and one error to take the lead for good.

The Panthers record stands at 10-26-1 overall. They return to conference play this weekend in a doubleheader with Boston College Sunday, April 18, at Frick Field starting at noon.